Storm before the brawl

by

Floyd Mayweather Jr greets fans in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Mayweather is scheduled to fight Conor McGregor in a boxing match on Saturday in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS (AP):

The carnival finally hit town on Tuesday, with Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr putting on a bit of a fashion show before promising to knock each other out in their highly anticipated boxing match.

Mayweather wore a fedora and gold rimmed glasses, while McGregor sported a three-piece suit and tie and aviator sunglasses as they made separate appearances before a crowd of several hundred people in front of the arena where they will fight Saturday night.

The two got into an unplanned verbal confrontation as they moved between the outdoor stage and the arena, though it was brief. Bodyguards kept them apart and both fighters are smart enough not to do anything to jeopardise their immense paydays from what could be the richest fight ever.

"It's work," Mayweather said when asked if he was having fun. "My job is to be a fighter."

McGregor, meanwhile, reiterated his vow to knock Mayweather out within two rounds, and claimed the boxer was getting desperate in making comments about his weight and stamina.

"Let him keep praying about weight and fatigue. All he's doing is praying," McGregor said. "But he's praying to the new god of boxing."

The crowd for one of the final promotional events was small and not terribly vocal, especially after waiting an hour or two in 100-degree heat to see the fighters. There was no one in line at T-Mobile Arena's three ticket windows, where plenty of expensive tickets remain for the bout.

The big money for the two fighters will come from pay-per-view sales, and early indications are that it could break all records.